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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — to paddle
  5. capital — a city
  6. fine — high quality
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. saw — the tool
  21. row — a line
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com